


Creative Accounting

by Polly_Phemus (orphan_account)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen, Hunter Finances, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-22 01:18:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11369556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Polly_Phemus
Summary: Sometimes the Winchesters do get something for their troubles.Tag to "Phantom Traveler."





	Creative Accounting

Dean never tore up envelops no matter how much they looked like junk mail. Especially if they were from banks or airlines; those were often credit card offers and sometimes they could swing a little somethin'-somethin' from overly optimistic banks. 

In the mailbox in Harrisburg, there were two slender envelops, one each for Dean and Sam Winchester. They were from United Britannia, and much too thin to be credit card offers. Dean opened his and threw Sammy's across the table to his brother.

"Woo-hoo!" Dean exclaimed.

"Whatchya got?" Sam asked, looking up from John's journal.

Dean cleared his throat and put on his most official voice as he read:

"Dear United Britannia Passenger,

"We want to sincerely apologize for incorrectly billing you for your 2003 flight with us. Please find enclosed a check, including interest, as a refund of the payment you made based upon the incorrect statement.

"We have worked hard to correct our billing records after self-discovering a computer programming error in our accounts receivable department's automated payment posting system. Our review has confirmed that the error has led to some travelers being overbilled for flights made between March and August of 2003, including one that you joined us for.

"We are now double-checking our billing records for all flights made during that time for accuracy and implementing a new, nationally-recognized electronic billing management system to ensure similar billing errors do not happen again in the future.

"We appreciate your choosing United Britannia for your travel needs and we are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

"Signed, Traveler Billing Services."

"What the hell, Dean? I didn't fly with United Britannia in 2003 and I know you sure as hell didn't."

"Hunter finances, Sammy," Dean grinned. "See, no one can admit what we do for them, right?"

"Right," Sam said. "Thankless job with no monetary reward. It's why we do it."

"Ha-ha," said Dean, refusing to let Sam harsh his buzz. "But every once in awhile, someone who knows what went down, someone with access to the right computer system.... Well, they find these little 'billing errors,' and we get a check. See how nothing on the check invoice refers to a flight date or flight number? Someone found an accounting error in our favor because they don't exactly have an expense account for 'ganking evil sonsabitches,' so they do this instead."

"Mine's for $948.92," Sam said.

"I got $734.16," Dean said. 

"So that works out, on a per-life basis, to...."

"Don't, Sammy," Dean said harshly. "We don't put a price on life."

"No," Sam agreed, subdued. "I shouldn't be thinking of it in those terms."

"Let's just be glad we got an honest day's pay for an honest day's work."

"Or a dishonest accounting trick for...how many lies did we tell that night?"

"Doesn't matter," Dean said dismissively. "That's over fifteen hundred dollars we didn't have yesterday."

"One thousand, six hundred and eighty-three dollars and eight cents that we didn't have yesterday," Sam said pedantically.

"Exactly," Dean grinned. "Tonight, we're tipping 20%!"

**Author's Note:**

> According to the Supernatural Wiki, Dean first used "gank" in season two. I choose to believe it was just the first time he said that word when a camera happened to be around.
> 
> Since my last couple of stories were written because I was pretty miffed, when I found something very nice indeed from my healthcare provider in the mail, I figured I'd write about that, too. It wasn't as nice as what the Winchesters got, but then all I did was overpay my bill, not save a passenger flight.


End file.
